Keel block



Patented Jan. 316, 1923.

ELMER M. VAN DYKE, OF

KEEL

Application filed November To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Emma M. VAX Drum.

a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Lyndhurst New Jersey have invented new and useful Improvements in Keel Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to keel blocks used in ship building operations for the laying of the keel and supporting the ship during construction.

The objects of the invention are to provide a keel block embodying novel features of construction whereby the block can be easily and quickly placed in position and removed from beneath the keel with a minimum expenditure of time and labor; to provide a. keel block which canbe repeatedly used thus reducing the cost of replacing blocks as is required with the usual type of solid block which is necessarily split or damaged during the removal thereof from beneath the keel and thereby rendered useless after one operation; to provide a sectional keel block which can'be easily and quickly put together and disassembled; to provide such a sectional keel block embodying means forqpreventing accidental displacement of its sections by the laying of the keel thereon; to obtain a sectional keel block provided with means for preventing relative movement or sliding of the sections thereof due to the declination of the ship way and the tendency of the ship to slide therein; to secure a sectional keel block which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and which is comparatively light in weight, and to obtain other results and advantages as may be broug t out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a keel block constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the face blocks;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the wedge spacing blocks; and

Figure 6 illustrates a drift pin which may be used to separate the wedge blocks.

In the specific embodiment ofmy inven- LYNDHURS'I, NEW JERSEY.

BLOCK.

24, 1920. Serial No. 426,128.

tion illustrated by the drawings, the numerals l and 2 designate similarly formed face blocks which are preferably constructed of wood. Said face blocks gradually increase in thickness from their ends toward the centers thereof to form a pair of oppositely inclined faces or surfaces 3 and 4: and 5 and 6, respectively, upon one side of each of the blocks, the opposite sides 7 and 8 of said. blocks being substantially flat.- The blocks 1 and 2 are arranged with their flat sides '7 and 8 facing loutwardly and with their inclined sides adjacent each other. the blocks being maintained in spaced relation by a pair of wedge blocks 9 and 10 preferably constructed of steel or fibre,

The wedge blocks are of a length substantially one-half that of the face blocks 1 and 2 and are provided respectively with converging sides ,11 and 12, the said wedge blocks being arranged with their thin ends adjacent each other and the inclined sides 11 and 12 thereof in engagement with the respective inclined surfaces 3, 5, and 4, 6, of the face blocks 1 and 2. In order to make the wedge blocks 9 and 10 of a minimum weight and yet sufficiently strong and dur able to withstand the strain to which they are subjected. beneath the keel of a ship. 1 form the blocks with a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced openings 13 which produce a plurality of transverse webs 14 connecting the inclined sides of the blocks.

For the purpose of connecting the sections of the keel block, I provide a bolt or tie rod 15 which extends longitudinally and substantially centrally through the wedge blocks 9 and 10 one end of said bolt being threaded and having a clamping nut 16 thereon, while the opposite end thereof is provided with a quick releasing head 17. This quick releasing head 17 may be of any desired construction. but I preferably use the construction described in my copending application Serial No. 341.858, filed December 2,1919, for Setting-up bolt. A. dog or washer plate 18 is interposed between the head 17 and the nut 16 and the respective ends of the keel block. opposite sides of said plates being provided with laterally projecting sharpened lugs or prongs 19 which bite into the ends of the wood face blocks 1 and 2, the said dog plates 18 thus positively connecting the face blocks to the wedge blocks and preventing relative movement or separation of the sections. The wedge blocks 9 and 10 are formed on their longitudinal side edges with upstanding inwardly beveled flanges 20, and the longitudinal side edges of the inclined surfaces of the face blocks are cut away 21 to receive said flanges 20.

In operation, a number of the keel blocks are placed in the ship way in alinement to receive the keel of the ship withthe bolts 15 arranged transversely of the keel and with the flat side of either of the face blocks on the ground, the flat side of the other face block receiving the keel It will beunderstood that the keel when laid upon 1 the keel blocks is inclined downwardly toward the water edge and that there there fore is a tendency 'to slide the uppermost face blocks lat rally from the wedge blocks. This sliding of the uppermost face blocks from the wedge blocks and sliding of thevwedge blocks from the lowermost face blocks is prevented by the flanges" 20 on the wedge blocks. Also, in many instances, in laying the keel upon the keel blocks, the weight of the keel is placed upon the blocks off the center or toward one end thereof, thereby tending to slide the uppermost face block endwise from the wedge blocks or the wedge blocks from the lowermost face block. This action is prevented in my block by the dog plates 18, the prongs 19 of which are firmly embedded in the face blocks 1 and 2 andpositively connect the same to the bolt and wedge blocks.

l/Vhen it is desired to remove the keel blocks from beneath the keel it is merely necessary to release the quick releasable head 17 from each of the bolts 15, whereupon the weight of the ship through the inclined surfaces of the face blocks and wedge blocks will causethe wedge blocks to be forced out wardly in opposite directions, thereby allowing a the uppermostface block to descend away from the keel. Should the weight of the ship be insufficient to start this movement of the keel blocks I may provide the adjacent inner ends of the wedge blocks with correspondingly shaped angular notches 22 which form openings to receive a drift pin, the vertical sides of the openings converging lnwardly, while the upper and lower sides thereof are substantially straight, so that when a tapered drift pin is driven into the opening formed by said notches it will act onlyonthe vertical sides of the openings so as toforce the wedge blocks apart in longitudinal directions. I may also form the inclined surfaces of the face blocks with a plurality of-intersecting grooves 23 to receive grease or oil and distribute the same over the inclined faces'of the wedge blocks to facilitate the sliding action thereof from bet-ween the face blocks. The amount of time re quired to remove keel blocks from beneath a ship is greatly reduced by my invention, as

one man can easily and quickly release all of the heads 1'? from thebolts 15 in a very short period of time, and the weight of the ship automatically forces the keel block from engagement with the keel as the ship settles into the launching ways, thereby eliminating the danger and time incidentto a number of men knocking or splitting the conventional type of keel block from beneath a ship.

While I have shown and described one possible embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is for the purpose of illustrating the principles thereof only, and that many modifications and changes can be made in the detail construction thereof by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself in the construction and use of the invention, except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

' Having thus described the invention, what Iclaim isz m 1. A keel block including a pair of spaced and similarly formed. face blocks having upon their adjacent sides a pair of op 30 sitely inclined surfaces, a pair of wec ge spacing blocks interposed between said face blocks, a bolt for connecting said wedge blocks, and washer plates on said bolt. and overlapping the ends of said face blocks, said washer plates. being formed with laterally projecting lugs to bitev into" the ends of said face blocks and positively connect the same, to hold the respective blocks against relative movement.

2. A keel block including a pair of spaced and similarly formed faceblocks having upon their adjacent sides each. a pair of oppositely inclined surfaces, a pair of wedge spacing blocks interposed between said face blocks, a bolt for connecting said wedge blocks, and washer plates'on said bolt en gaging the ends of said face blocks to prevent separation of them from the wedge blocks.

3. A keel block including a pair of spaced and similarly formed face blocks having upon their adjacent sides each a pairof oppositely inclined surfaces, a pair of wedge spacing blocks interposedbetween said face blocks, a bolt connecting said wedge blocks, and washer plates on said bolt holding the said face blocks againstescape in any direction.

4:. A keel block including a pair of spaced wooden faceblocks, a pair of metal wedge blocks interposed between said face blocks in sliding engagement therewith and provided upon their longitudinal edges on. opposite sides ofthe inclined surfaces thereof with upstanding flanges havingzplane walls receiving said face blocks between them and prei 'enting relative lateral movement of said face blocks and said wedge blocks, and a bolt connecting said wedge blocks.

5. A keel block including a pair of spaced wooden face blocks reduced at their adjacent sides, a pair of metal wedge blocks interposed between said face blocks in sliding en gagement therewith and provided upon their longitudinal edges on opposite sides of the inclined surfaces thereof with flanges flush with the outer sides of the blocks and receiving between themselves the reduced sides of the #"ace blocks and preventing relative lateral movement of said face blocks and wedge blocks and a bolt connecting said wedge blocks.

ELMER M. VAN DYKE. 

